The Council of Agriculture actively integrates the food products exporters, farmers’ groups and agricultural associations to participate the “2007 FOODEX JAPAN” in Tokyo from 13th to 16th with the aim of exploiting international marketing channels for Taiwan agricultural products. This exhibition is the biggest of its kind in Asia and the 3rd biggest of its kind in the world. The “Taiwan Hall” this year is, for the first time, the 5th biggest for all participating nations. Our Representative in Japan, Mr. Shi-Kai Hsu represented Taiwan to participate the opening ceremony.

Council of Agriculture indicated that integrating the exporters and producers of agricultural products to participate major international food exhibition is always a significant annual work of the Council. There are more than 80 countries from the whole world participated the on-going FOODEX JAPAN in Tokyo. Taiwan could not be absent, because Japan is the biggest importing country of agricultural products of Taiwan. In 2006, for example, Taiwan exported 915 million US dollars of farm products to Japan, which accounted for the 27.7% of the total agricultural export value. Therefore, the Council integrates positively different groups to participate this exhibition for showing the characters of the agricultural products produced by Taiwan: safe, high quality, healthy and nutritious. Then, promote Taiwan’s notoriety on the international market.

Council of Agriculture selected 56 excellent manufacturers of agricultural products to form the team and participate in the FOODEX JAPAN. The Taiwan Hall occupied 1,200 square meters and is designed in a fantastic way. Inside the hall, fresh vegetables, fruits, teas, livestock products, rice, processed agricultural products and specialties are displayed in different areas. Among more than hundred processed agricultural products, the well-known banana and young soybeans that are the largest exports to Japan and fruits and are familiar to Japanese people. Dolls of personified banana and young soybean standing over 2 meters high were made to serve as a lucky symbol of Taiwan agricultural products for export. The dolls strolled around the hall and presided over 31 rounds of new product announcements and taste activities aiming to attract buyers and customers to enter the Taiwan Hall for business or visiting.

Council of Agriculture pointed out that the Council is devoted to go deep into the Japanese market and has successfully sold rice, papaya, chicken and goose meats exports to Japan. In July and October of 2006, the Council also set up two “Taiwan Product” exhibition houses in Tokyo and Yokohama. This showed COA’s strong attempt to develop Japanese market. Participating in FOODEX JAPAN is not only an opportunity to sell omnibearingly the brand image of safety and excellence of Taiwanese agricultural products and recommend positively to the buyers from Japan and other countries, but also a chance that all the participants could know well the international developments and consuming trends of agricultural products. Presenting in the exhibition will help Taiwan to establish a more solid foundation for selling Taiwanese agricultural product in international market.